According to BMW, 2018 has been rich a year for the Group in terms of awards, honors, and acclaim received by a wide and varied assortment of cars. The accolades don’t come exclusively from the automotive community, however, with areas such as technology, product quality, and design also receiving praise. In terms of the rankings topped and other awards, most of them come from magazines, many of which based their ratings on reader polls, while a few other organizations like J.D. Power are also mentioned.
Some headlining models include the new M5 and M5 Competition, the M2 Competition, and a few varieties of the conventional 5 Series. A number of X-model SAVs and SACs received honors as well, in addition to the 2 Series convertible and outgoing 330i.
Highlights include the M5 being named World Performance Car, while the International Forum Design awarded a number of models like the new 6 Series Gran Turismo, and the i8 continued its reign with the International Engine of the Year for the fourth year running.
Although absent from some rather important lists over the last few years in the U.S. during the F30 platform, the current-generation 3 Series continues to collect praise in Europe. The 5 Series, currently using the G30 internal designation, was perhaps the most awarded BMW of all, with the model line alone accounting for nearly 30% of the awards and praise aimed at BMW. The 4 Series, which is expected to be replaced within the next year or so, is still doing well on its own, at least in terms of initial quality, according to J.D. Power. Five years after its introduction, the i3 is still coursing with energy—see what I did there?!—as the new i3S and conventional models both received praise for a number of reasons.
M and M Performance models don’t disappoint, either, with a varied number including the M4 and M3 continuing to collect awards as well, in addition to the new M2 Competition and M5 Competition, which seem to be in general focus lately.
In addition to things remaining positive in terms of BMW Group Electrified offerings and the i3 (positive, get it?! Somebody stop me), the i8 also collected two awards, one for its drivetrain (for the fourth year running, as noted above) and another reader poll indicating that it was the performance hybrid of choice.
Technological innovation, taking the form of systems and options we’ve become accustomed to like Apple Car Play, the BMW Connected smartphone app, and BMW’s Operating System 7.0, which appears in new models like the 3 Series, X5, and 8 Series, were all praised as well. So was the BMW brand in general, in terms of innovative ability when it comes to vehicle concepts and interface and connectivity systems.
View the breakdown of awards and other praise down below.—Alex Tock
World Car Awards.
World Performance Car:
BMW M5
Awards presented by auto motor und sport.
Best Car:
BMW X1 (Category: Compact SUVs)
BMW 5 Series (Category: Upper Mid-Size)
Autonis:
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer/BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer (Category:
MPVs)
Award presented by Engine Technology International.
International Engine of the Year:
BMW i8 (Category: 1.4 litre –1.8 litre)
Awards presented by auto motor und sport and Moove.
Car Connectivity Award 2018:
BMW Apple CarPlay preparation (Category: Phone Integration)
BMW Connected (Category: Smartphone Apps)
BMW Operating System 7.0 (Category: Control & Operating
Concepts/Displays)
Awards presented by Auto Bild Sportscars.
Sportscars 2018:
BMW M2 Competition (Category: Small/Compact Cars)
BMW M5 Competition (Category: Sedans/Station Wagons)
Awards presented by Auto Bild Allrad.
Allradautos des Jahres (AWD Cars of the Year):
BMW 3 Series (Category: AWD Cars up to €40,000)
BMW X3 (Category: Off-roaders and SUVs from €30,000 – €50,000)
Awards presented by Auto Zeitung.
Auto Trophy – World’s Best Cars:
BMW 3 Series (Category: Mid-size)
BMW 5 Series (Category: Executive)
BMW X5 (Category: Luxury SUVs)
BMW i3 (Category: Electric Cars up to €50,000)
BMW i8 (Category: Electric/Hybrid Performance Cars)
BMW brand (Category: Best Design)
Awards presented by sport auto.
sport auto Award:
BMW M140i (Category: Compact Cars)
BMW M240i Coupe (Category: Coupes up to €50,000
BMW 230i Convertible (Category: Convertibles/Roadsters up to €50,000)
BMW 330i (Category: Sedans/Station Wagons up to €50,000)
BMW M550d xDrive (Category: Diesels)
BMW M3 with Competition Package. (Cat.: Sedans/Station Wagons up to
€100,000)
BMW M4 Coupe with Competition Package. (Cat.: Coupes up to €100,000)
BMW M5 (Category: Sedans/Station Wagons over €100,000)
Awards presented by PwC / Center of Automotive Management.
Automotive Innovations Awards:
BMW as Most Innovative Premium Brand
BMW as Most Innovative Premium Brand – Vehicle concepts/body
BMW as Most Innovative Premium Brand – Interface/connectivity
Awards presented by iF International Forum Design.
iF Design Award:
BMW M5
BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo
BMW X2
BMW X3
BMW i3s
Awards presented by Auto Test.
Auto Test Winner:
BMW 530d Touring (Overall Winner)
BMW 520d Touring (Category: Price-performance Ratio)
Award presented by What Car? (Great Britain).
Car of the Year:
BMW 5 Series (Category: Luxury Car)
Award presented by What Car?, Practical Caravan and The Camping and Caravanning Club (Great Britain).
Tow Car Awards:
BMW 520d xDrive Touring (Overall Winner)
Awards presented by UK Car of the Year (Great Britain).
UK Car of the Year:
BMW 5 Series (Best Executive Car)
BMW 5 Series Touring (Best Estate Car)
Awards presented by Company Car Today (Great Britain).
Company Car Today Award:
BMW 330e (Best Plug-in Hybrid of the Year)
BMW 5 Series (Car of the Year)
BMW 5 Series (Executive Car of the Year)
BMW X1 (Premium Crossover of the Year)
Awards presented by Auto Express (Great Britain).
Best Cars:
BMW i3 Rex (Best Hybrid Car)
BMW i3 (Best Low Emissions Green Car)
New Car Awards:
BMW 5 Series (Executive Car of the Year)
BMW X3 (Mid-size Premium SUV of the Year)
Award presented by Car and Driver (U.S.).
Best Trucks and SUVs:
BMW X1 (Category: Subcompact Luxury SUV)
Awards presented by JD Power (U.S.).
Initial Quality Study:
BMW 4 Series (Category: Compact Premium Car)
BMW X1 (Category: Small Premium SUV)
BMW X6 (Category: Midsize Premium SUV)
Award presented by Car Magazine (South Africa).
Best Buys:
BMW 3 Series (Category: Premium Midsize Car)
[Photos courtesy BMW AG.]